Researchers in R&D in United States of America

United States of America: Researchers in R&D was 4,937 per million people in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
4,937 per million people
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
23rd
of 103 countries
All-time high
4,937 per million people
in 2022
All-time low
3,207 per million people
in 1996
Years of data
27
1996–2022

Researchers in R&D in United States of America, 1996–2022

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k5.0k1996200920221996: 3.2k per million people1997: 3.3k per million people1998: 3.5k per million people1999: 3.5k per million people2000: 3.6k per million people2001: 3.6k per million people2002: 3.6k per million people2003: 3.9k per million people2004: 3.7k per million people2005: 3.6k per million people2006: 3.7k per million people2007: 3.6k per million people2008: 3.8k per million people2009: 3.9k per million people2010: 3.6k per million people2011: 3.8k per million people2012: 3.7k per million people2013: 3.8k per million people2014: 3.9k per million people2015: 3.9k per million people2016: 3.9k per million people2017: 4.0k per million people2018: 4.3k per million people2019: 4.4k per million people2020: 4.6k per million people2021: 4.9k per million people2022: 4.9k per million people

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in per million people.

Analysis

United States of America recorded 4,937 per million people for researchers in r&d in 2022. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.

The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 32.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, researchers in r&d in United States of America peaked at 4,937 per million people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 3,207 per million people, in 1996.

That places United States of America 23rd out of 103 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Researchers in R&D in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Researchers in R&D (per million people) in United States of America, 1996 to 2022.
Year per million people Change
1996 3,207 per million people
1997 3,311 per million people +3.2%
1998 3,472 per million people +4.9%
1999 3,547 per million people +2.1%
2000 3,556 per million people +0.3%
2001 3,599 per million people +1.2%
2002 3,646 per million people +1.3%
2003 3,851 per million people +5.6%
2004 3,710 per million people -3.7%
2005 3,635 per million people -2.0%
2006 3,674 per million people +1.1%
2007 3,624 per million people -1.4%
2008 3,751 per million people +3.5%
2009 3,878 per million people +3.4%
2010 3,644 per million people -6.0%
2011 3,755 per million people +3.0%
2012 3,735 per million people -0.5%
2013 3,815 per million people +2.2%
2014 3,915 per million people +2.6%
2015 3,950 per million people +0.9%
2016 3,897 per million people -1.3%
2017 4,021 per million people +3.2%
2018 4,323 per million people +7.5%
2019 4,367 per million people +1.0%
2020 4,568 per million people +4.6%
2021 4,901 per million people +7.3%
2022 4,937 per million people +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3,384 per million people 3,207 per million people 3,547 per million people 4
2000s 3,693 per million people 3,556 per million people 3,878 per million people 10
2010s 3,942 per million people 3,644 per million people 4,367 per million people 10
2020s 4,802 per million people 4,568 per million people 4,937 per million people 3

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 20 France 5,369 per million people compare
  2. 21 Luxembourg 5,359 per million people compare
  3. 22 Greece 5,283 per million people compare
  4. 24 Estonia 4,800 per million people compare
  5. 25 Macao 4,634 per million people compare
  6. 26 Australia 4,569 per million people compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More science & technology data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is researchers in r&d in United States of America?
Researchers in r&d in United States of America was 4,937 per million people in 2022, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest researchers in r&d recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 4,937 per million people in 2022.
What is the lowest researchers in r&d recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 3,207 per million people in 1996.
How does United States of America rank for researchers in r&d?
United States of America ranks 23rd out of 103 countries with data for 2022.
Is researchers in r&d rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Researchers in R&D (per million people). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Researchers in R&D in United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/stat/researchers-in-r-and-d-per-million-people/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Researchers in R&D (per million people)
Unit
per million people
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,361 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.